Nagpur: In a horrifying incident that has once again exposed the brutal nexus of illegal cattle trafficking, a 12-wheel truck ferrying around 42 cows and bulls from Bhandara to Nagpur caught fire near Shree Krishna Mall at Fetri village under Kalmeshwar Police Station limits on Sunday evening. The vehicle, packed beyond capacity with animals allegedly being transported to a slaughterhouse, turned into a death trap, leaving 32 cattle burnt alive in a matter of minutes.
According to police, the truck (MH-40/CD5094) suffered a flat tyre while passing through Fetri. Instead of stopping, the driver continued to push the overloaded vehicle forward. The friction generated by the damaged tyre soon triggered a blaze that rapidly engulfed the truck.
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14 Oct 2025
Eyewitnesses described a gut-wrenching scene: Animals tightly bound with wire, squeezed together under a tarpaulin sheet, unable to move, let alone escape as the fire raged.
Local villagers, shocked by the sight, rushed to the spot with buckets of water and makeshift tools in a desperate attempt to contain the flames. Displaying immense courage, they managed to rescue 10 severely injured cattle. A veterinary doctor was immediately called in to administer treatment. Volunteers from the nearby Radhaswamy Satsang in Yerla also joined the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the truck driver attempted to flee but was quickly intercepted by Kalmeshwar Police. Three persons, Mohammad Nasir, Syed Hamid Ali, and Amir Rahup Qureshi, all residents of Teka Naka, Nagpur, have been arrested for illegally transporting cattle and exposing them to extreme cruelty.
Police have registered a case under multiple stringent provisions, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Maharashtra Animal Protection Act, Motor Vehicles Act, BNS, National Highways Act, and Public Property Damage Prevention Act.
The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who demand strict action against the illegal cattle transport network that continues to operate despite repeated crackdowns.
